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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2000)
Have Shoes Will Travel Be a TAMU Exchange Student Immerse Yourself in Another Culture in the World Informational Meetings 358 Bizzell Hall West, 4:00 p.m. February 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21 22, 23, 24, 25, 28 29 March 1 deadline &xfX&U4Utae a tuqJU JUae Saida & Muduc & ^ba*uUHg Tickets only $5 at MSC Box Office for info call 845*1234 <k FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH G. ROLLIE WHITE COLISEUM Dance Lessons 8PM - 9PM Live Concert & Dancing 9PM * 1PM Sponsored by MSC L.T. Jordan Institute and MSC Town Hall Persons vwlft disabilities reooning special assistance are requested to can 84S-8??0 to cofrsmurtieate special needs. STUDENT COUNSELING SERVICE jL Career Counseling & r Testing Center ...a Department in the Division of Student Affairs Texas A&M Uinversity 114 Henderson Hall 845-4427 ext. 108 scs.tamu.edu Individual Career Counseling Students may schedule an appointment with a career counselor to discuss concerns regarding their choice of major and choice of career. Other issues for exploration may include career planning, decision making, and dealing with family pressure. 4 ACE (Academic & Career Educator) Student Volunteers ACE student volunteers assist students in the Career Counseling & Testing Center by helping them explore various academic majors, career options, and career information. No appointment is necessary to speak with an ACE volunteer. DISCOVER DISCOVER is a multimedia career exploration tool which provides a personalized list of occupations and majors based on responses to questions about interests, abilities, and values. DISCOVER computer time must be scheduled in advance. Personalized information can be saved to a computer disk. (Bring your own 3.5” disk.) Career Self-help Resources The Career Counseling & Testing Center contains a variety of books, handouts, and computer programs on career choice and occupational information that students may use at their own pace. The resources are available for use during regular business hours. No appointment is required to use these materials. STATE Page6 THE BATTALION Environmental agency admits to toxic mistake HARLINGEN (AP) — The Texas Natural Resource Con servation Commission said it made a mistake after a chemical spill in Brownsville last month by failing to give the Coast Guard updated calculations on what levels of the chemical fur fural were safe for fish. The Coast Guard, operating on TNRCC figures that put the threshold around 7 parts per million, released water from the spill that had furfural levels of 2 to 2.5 parts per million, said Capt. Adan Guerrero, federal on-scene coordinator for the spill. A TNRCC memo dated two days after the spill determined that .53 parts per million was a safe lev el for “the most sensitive organ ism.” That memo came from Austin to a regional office in the Rio Grande Valley, but the infor mation was not immediately for warded to the Coast Guard. “I can’t really tell you that we know exactly what happened and we’ll correct it in the future ... but there is an acknowledgment that the information should have been passed on,” said TNR CC spokesman Patrick Crimmins. “It was just a mistake.” The released water ended up in San Martin Lake in Brownsville, where several million fish died. The Coast Guard is investigating whether the released water killed the fish. On Jan. 25, a truck from Mexico carry ing about 9,000 gal lons of furfural, a toxic agricultural waste derivative and chemical manufacturing raw material, overturned into a Brownsville drainage canal that flows into San Martin Lake. Officials dammed up the ditch at several places. On Feb. 4, the Coast Guard released the first of three dams holding back the contaminated water. On Feb. 7, the day after water was released from the last dam, dead lish turned up in the lake, and the dam was built back up. On Feb. 8, the Coast Guard fi nally heard about the TNRCC memo, Guerrero said. Around 5 million fish in the lake died, said Smiley Nava, man ager for the resource protection di vision of Texas Parks and Wildlife. Nava said parks and wildlife of ficials believe the fish, mostly for age fish like the tiny Gulf men haden, died from the spill. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard, TNRCC and Cameron County crews continue clean-up efforts. Samples taken since Friday have shown no detectable levels of fur fural in the ditch, San Martin Lake or the cut leading between the lake and the Brownsville Ship Channel, the Coast (iuard said. Cameron County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa said the memo mix-up shows that the federal, state and county agencies need ed to work together more closely. “We know our community,” Hinojosa said. “We know how sensitive our marine life is there. We feel we would have been able to provide some positive input.” “We know our community. We know how sensitive our marine life is there. We feel we would have been able to provide some positive input." — Gilberto Hinojosa Cameron County Judge New organizations ask judge to open gunfire test to the public WACO (AP) — News organizations asked a federal judge Tuesday to open to the public an upcoming field test that is likely to resolve the key outstanding question from the 1993 Branch Davidi- an siege: whether federal agents fired on the compound in the final fiery moments. In a motion filed in federal court, lawyers for The Dallas Morning News and The Associated Press argued that the public’s interest in the case trumps any secrecy claims that the government could assert conceming its conduct dur ing the 51 -day standoff. But the request appears unlikely to be granted by U.S. District Judge Wal ter Smith of Waco, who last week re jected a request by the St. Louis Post- Dispatch to open the test. “I am advised that for national secu rity and safety reasons, access will be strictly limited,” Smith wrote in a Feb. 8 letter. “Neither the media nor the public will be permitted to attend.” The question of government gunfire is the focus of a Waco reinvestigation by Congressional committees, the special counsel appointed by Attorney General Janet Reno and Branch Davidian sur vivors suing the government. Branch Davidian leader David Kore- sh and some 80 followers died in an in ferno at their compound near Waco, end ing the standoff with members of the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Some died from fire, others from gunshots. The government has said all along that the sect members were re sponsible for their own deaths. Smith is presiding over the wrong ful death lawsuit, which is due to go to trial in mid-May. The judge, who ordered the field test, was to meet with lawyers, scientists and special counsel John Danforth on Wednesday in St. Louis to iron out de tails. The test is expected to take place at Fort Hood early next month. The government long has insisted that none of its agents fired their weapons. But the Branch Davidian plaintiffs, backed by infrared experts, contend that aerial sur veillance footage the FBI filmed captured bursts of light that can be nothing other than gunfire — a claim the government denies. The airplane and infrared camera used by the FBI to record surveillance footage during the 1993 standoff will be used for the upcoming field test, as will a similarly equipped British Royal Navy helicopter. Weapons like those carried by federal agents and the Davidians dur ing the siege will be fired during the field test. Footage recorded from the two aircraft will then be compared with the 1993 video to determine if the bursts of light represent gunfire. Issues sunounding the siege and its deadly end continue to be of enormous interest to the public, Dallas attorney Paul Watler argued in Tuesday’s filing on behalf of The Dallas Morning News and the AP. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Waco Trihune-Heralct also planned to press the case for public access. “Shrouding the test in secrecy serves only to undermine the public’s confi dence in any such findings or conclu sions,” the news organizations said in the filing. “The public’s interest in having an independent and objective source for in formation about the field test far out weighs any reason that might be offered for prohibiting media access.” The media will be no closer to gov ernment equipment during the field test than they were during the 1993 siege, the news organizations said. Wednesday, February li Inesday, Februa State sues insurance compann byei BY RE The The Texas A<S uri Tigers at R The Aggies i AUSTIN (AP)— Attorney eral John Comyn sued 16 auto ance companies Tuesday, claimi companies illegally deductedn for repairs from policyholders' payments. Corny n is seeking refunds fori sumers as well as fines. The maxi fine is S10,000 per violation. Named in the lawsuits were Farm, Allstate, Farmers, USAA, gressive County Mutual, Farm Bi State and County Mutual, Travi Trinity, Nationwide, Old Amerii County Mutual, Home State CoiA^ senior fc Mutual, Sentry, Maryland Casuafe ijversity las Consumers County Mutual andCN. The attorney general’s officewt still determining how many custom; could be affected by the lawsuit orb much the lines could total, sn spokeswoman I leather Browne. An industry spokesman said is surers are properly charging cu tomers for costs associated wi restoring damaged vehicles to tk pre-accident condition. At issue is whether it is legalfo companies to keep part of the mowfcn will try to awarded to a policyholder for repan ten it takes on when a damaged vehicle is fixedwi newer parts. The standard Texas auto policy pd cord. 2-9 in the hibits such deductions, and a recent ehoping to ha Texas appeals court opinion says thi tason’send. the so-called betterment deductions® A&M worn illegal, Comyn said. leggie Gil loin s “Deduction for betterment or del nportant game preciation on policyholders’autorepai miplish that go claims has been an industry customii “Yes, we’re Texas, but the personal auto insuranct ilvage the seas policy does not allow it,” Comynsaid at like it’s not r “We would certainly disagreewitli ing record. Wt the attorney general’s opinion. Itisour lopeffilly, the g responsibility as insurers to repairttat The Aggies vehicle to bring it back to the condiiion :ame losing str [before] the time of the accideifsa/d nth a victory ( Jerry Johns, president of the Mi- Gophomoregua western Insurance Information's, after ending th in Austin, a trade group that repress®! ( hange in the A several of the companies being sued! () I len restori ng the vehicle to its prr vious condition adds costs, Johns said “If we were required to replace® engine in a 1996 vehicle with a 2i engine that cost is going to be com erably higher,” and will drive up insir mice rates Johns said. Comyn said he applauded rece steps by several companies to stop tall ing betterment deductions. “Howevet I intend to make sure that policyhoU ers get the refunds they are entitled it and that all companies play by the sa® rules,” he said. + Career Safari This workshop will provide you with the tools to track elusive occupational information and capture the right career for you. The focus of this workshop is more comprehensive than Choosing A Major in that skills confidence and work values will be assessed and considered in addition to interests. The focus goes beyond helping you with the immediate task of selecting an appropriate major. The intent of this workshop is to provide you with long- range, life-time career planning skills. Pre-registration and completion of interest inventory five working days prior to the workshop are required. Feb. 14th Mon. 4:30-6:00 p.m. Mar. 2nd Thur. 2:15-3:45 p.m. Mar. 28th Tues. 4:00-5:30 p.m. Apr. 10th Mon. 4:00-5:30 p.m. Apr. 19th Wed. 3:00-4:30 p.m. Apr. 24th Mon. 4:00-5:30 p.m. 4 Choosing a Major This workshop will cover the factors to consider and steps involved in making a career decision. Your interests will be matched with appropriate academic majors and occupations. Pre-registration and completion of interest inventory five working days prior to the workshop are required. Mar. 7th Tues. 3:45-4:45 p.m. Mar. 29th Wed. 4:00-5:00 p.m. Apr. 4th Tues. 4:00-5:00 p.m. Apr. 14th Fri. 3:00-4:00 p.m. Apr. 25th Tues. 2:30-3:30 p.m. 4 Do What You Are This workshop is based on the best-selling book and teaches participants how to incorporate their unique personalities in career planning. Profiles will be provided that include a brief personality description, strengths and weaknesses, criteria for a satisfying career choice, careers to consider, and recommendations for the job search. Pre-registration and completion of personality measure five working days prior to the workshop are required. Part-Time Jobs $7.00 per hour!!!! We've been in the computer and automotive business for 30 years and have over 1600 employees nationwide, including 450 here in College Station. We are looking for bright indi viduals with various backgrounds and majors for positions including: • PC Support • Hardware Repair • Inventory Control • Customer Service We offer flexible hours 6am - 10pm and real world work experience. Training is provided. Benefits include free pay roll direct deposit and on-site fitness facility. EOE. To apply, please call Monday - Friday, or visit our website. 409-595-2609 www.universalcomputersys.com UCS hires non-tobacco users only SPRING BREAK 2000 ^ Cancun Give-A-Way 1 rtf MUSIC TELEVISION™ StudentU.com will send one winner and a guest to Cancun, Mexico for the biggest party of the year... MTV Spring Break 2000! Feb. 24th Thur. 2:30-3:30 p.m. Mar. 6th Mon. 4:00-5:00 p.m. Mar. 24th Fri. 3:00-4:00 p.m. Apr. 3rd Mon. 4:15-5:15 p.m. Apr. 18th Tues. 3:45-4:45 p.m. Register at StudentU.com, the center of the college online universe and while you're there don't forget to checkout the FREE class notesl . Rtgllte , bIt ^„ Fd) M5 www.studentu.com